Several years ago, monies were owed to our construction company and we were forced to retain the services of a collection agency. This agency was successful in getting a check issued to our business' name in the amount of $47,500.00 and the check was sent to the collection agency. The agency asked us to sign the check and it would be cashed and their fee of 10% would be removed from the total amount and the rest would be forwarded to our offices. That amount was never forthcoming and our telephone calls and letters went unanswered. After several months, we were advised to write to the District Attorney's office and to give all the pertinent information with regard to this matter and that they would conduct a criminal investigation. By the time the D.A.'s office investigated, the perpetrators had already given up their office space and were long gone with our money and sadly with the monies of several other businesses who had trusted them.

As small business owners, this was a very serious setback to us and as the years passed, we truly lost all hope that we would ever see any portion of our money again.

To our great joy, the District Attorney's office contacted us earlier this year to inform us that the two individuals running this so-called collection agency had been apprehended and were being brought to trial. I am happy to inform you that a check arrived at our offices today in the full amount that these criminals stole from us. A letter accompanying the check explained that the two individuals were made to make restitution in the amount of $400,000.00 to everyone that had fallen victim to their fraudulent collection agency scheme and that they have each been sentenced to several years in prison for their crime.

I write this letter so that others that require services from a collection agency will investigate the agency prior to doing business with them and will not fall prey to unscrupulous criminals as we did. I write it also to remind other criminally minded individuals that the wheels of justice grind slowly -- but grind they do -- and they grind very fine!